Match-making machine oe machine  eoe packing match splints



Dec. 7 1926. 1,609,736`r C. O. RENNIE ET AL' MATCH MAKING MACHINE lOR MACHINE FOR PACKING MATCH SPLINTS Filed Oct. 23, )923 5 Sheets-Sheer*I L 4 iwf Dec. 7 1926.

C. O. RENNIE ET AL MATCH MAKING MACHINE OR MACHIN FOR PACKING MATCH SPLINTS 192? 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed om. 25,

' Dec. 7 1926.

c'. o. RENNIE ET A1. MATCH MAKING MACHINE OR MACHINE FOR PACKING MATCH SPLINTS Filed Oo'r,v 25 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 7 1926.

1,609,736 C. O. RENNIE ET AL MATCH MAKING MACHINE 0R MACHINE FCR PACKING MATCH sPLINTs Filed OCT,A 23, 1923' 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Dec. 7A, A1926.

c. o. RENNIE ET Ai.

MATCH MAKING MACHINE OR MACHINE FOR PACKING MATCH SPLINTS Filed Oct. 23l 3923. 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Dec. 7, 1926.

Uni-'ran STATES PA'rENiorsi-cn.

CHARLES O'GILVY RENNEE AND ARTE-LTR VEN-NELL COSTER, OF LONLDQN, ENGLAND,

ASSIGNRS TO '.EHE DAMGN-J ATC- COf-MPANY, OE' CHICAGO', ILLINOl'S, A COR- PORATON OF ILLINOIS.

MATCH-MAKING MACHINE OR lvIACI-IIIQ`E` EUR RACKING SPLDTTS.

Application filed October 23', 13222;, Serial No. @79124;7. and in Great Britain January 221, 1923.

In dealing with. match splints there is required' mechanism for first straightening the match splints, that is to say, for bri-nging theni all parallel to each other, in orde-r that they may properly be fed into the match making machine in which the splints are tipped with ignition paste, or may loey properly packed in cases for transport. Such Straightening mechanism is well-known, but there have been certain di'liiculties in the way of eliminating manual labour in transferring' the straightened splints to the hopper or magazine of the match makin-g machine orto the packing' case. The chief di'liiculty is that which exists in maintaining the straightened condition of the splints during the transfer when the latter is purely mechanical.

VBy this invention this difficulty is overcome by carrying the straightened splints by means of a conveyor tothevmouth of a magazine and discl'iarging them into the latter under such condition-s that they fall through a distance not appreciably greater than the length of a splint. In this man-ner they are deposited in the magazine withv minimum disarrangement.

The magazine may be that of a match making machine. To ensure their proper feed from this magazine to the match making machine. it has been usual to load them with a weight. By this invention this loading is not necessary owing to the fact that the magazine is constructed in su-ch a manner that its sides are inclined towards each other andare kept in constant vibration. Provision is also made for keeping the magazine fully charged so that the head of match splints does not appreciably vary. To this end the mouth of the magazine may have a suitable overflow; the splints being fed in excess of the requirement, the surplus passes' into the overflow to be returned in any suitable manner to the feeding hopper. rllhe proper packing of the magazine may he facilitated by a mid-feather, preferably adjiistifhle, in its mouth.

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ro izacl-litate control the magazine may be transparent ery have suitable windows, and doors for affording access to the mass of splints may he provided. i suitable conveyor receives the splints from a preliminary straighten-ing dev-ice;

front of the this may take the form. of a reciprocating rotary in chanism placed to receive the splints descending by gravity promiscuous ...der from. the feeding hopper.

The conveyor may consist of an endless chain: ofy compartments. or' boxes which suecessive'ly receive` splints from'V the straighteningl device; To complete the straightening the chain isv preferably lieptin vibration by suitable mechanism. both horizontal' and vertical direction. As each box. or compartment arrives abovethe mouth of the magazineV it is automatically opened in such a manner that the straightened splints slide easily on. tothose already on the magazine.

'lhe accompanying drawings illustrateV a machine. comprising improved straightening mechanism and a conveyor for carryingY the splints and delivering them toemagaizines of an improved construction bellen-ging to a natch making machine.

.F l is an elevation showing so much of the machine as is essential for" explaining theinvention. Eig. lL is a. part plan of Fig.. l. Y

Fig.. 2 is an end elevation' of F ig. l.

F is a vertical longitudinal Vsection through the magazines, showing a part of the conveyor in elevation; it is drawnto an enlarged. scale.

Fig. is a plan drawn toV an enlarged scale of jrhe. device for straightening the splints as the i are discharged from. a hopper.

ig;v 5 is a section on linel 5 5y of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 isa vertical section, through ai modified form of straightening device.

Figs.A 7,. 8 and 9' are detail views.

rlhe splints are fed anyhow into4 the hopper c. ln. its broadest terms: the straightening device shown Figs. l, t and 5 comprises a chute containing one or more vertically reciprocatilng' pushers which in their upward movement raise the mass of splints in the hopper and cause the splints to descend one or more vertical cells in the chute, which cells allow only an end-on passage of the splints through them. ln the particular forni illustrated the rectangular chuteA a has three longitudinal' plates` constituting part-itions Ca2, 0.3, or* (Figs. l and 5).

The middle partition c?? is bolted to the ends of the chutev and is somewhat taller than the other partitions which are carried also, during the at their ends by pins extending through slots in the ends ot the chute and through sliding` blocks (L5. The latter are connected by links o (Figs. l and with eccentric pins on dises o lixed to a shat't b which is rocked by a crank shatt o through an angle adjustable by shift-ing, by means of screw b3, the position ot the pin ot the connecting rod Zit in the slot ot lever o5.

To each side ot' cach partition o2, o3, e and also to the sides oit the chute o are riveted sheet inctal troughs o the sides ot' which torni transverse partitions in the conipartments torined by the longitudinal partitions a2, at? at. The relative positions ot thel troughs are such that alternate transverse partitions in a longitudinal compartment are fixed to one side ot the compartment and the remainder to the other side. Thus it happens that when partitions 0.2 and ai* are vertically reciprocated by the inechanisin o o* just described, alternate transverse partitions in each longitudinal coinparti'nent travel up and down while the others reinain at rest. A.. shown in Fig'. 5 the upper enos ot' those transverse partitions which are movable are inclined downwardly troni the longitudinal partition a2 or o* which carries theni, while the upper ends ot the stationary transverse partitions are inclined in the opposite direction.

lt will he seen that at every upward stroke ot partition o2 or at the upper part ot this partition and the transverse partitions which it carries tend to push the splints towards the other side of the chute; thus the lnass ot splints has a perpetual rocking inoveinent which promotes their entry into the cells toi-ined in the chute by the several partitions, this action being aided by the inclined ends o'f the movable transverse partitions and return stroke by the inclined ends o'l the stationary transverse partitions. The dimension ot each ot the cells in the chute is such that a splint can only travel down the cell with one end considerab lower than the other.

Beneath the chute, a is an inclined tray (l composed ot a nuinber of narrow parallel troughs which receive the splints as they issue end-on troni the cells in the chute. rlfhe splints slide down the troughs and pass into the boxes ot' the endless chain conveyor e presently to be described. I-.Tere they lie substantially parallel to each other owing to the manner in which they have been straightened.

ln the modification shown in l? G the bot-tom ot the hopper o7 is an endless band as travellingl in the direction indicated by the arrows so that it tends to cari i the splints out ot the discharge opening` aD ot the hopper. This opening is substantially closed by an adjustable roller (1.10 driven in the direction ot the arrow and having` its periphery so close to the surface ot the baud o5 that only a few splints can at any one inonient continue their travel with the band. its the splints leave the band they are recevcd by an inclined tray (,Z, siinilar to the tray d already described, which delivers them to the conveyor c- Ilhe delivery niay be controlled by a light brush (Z2 revolving` in the direction ot the arrow above the lower end ot the trough.

the conveyor coniprises parallel endless sl'irocket chains c (Fig. 2) connected by pini-z c: (Figs. il and 7). The chains pass over sprocket wheels ot' which two, 7', 7 are shown in Fig. l, j being driven. The pins c: are threaded through the angular portion olf Lshaped plates g so that they constitute pivots on which these plates can turn. The boxes i'or carrying the splints are toi-ined when the chain enters a horizontal guide-way It extending between the straightening; deviceand the magazines. The guideway ,is shown in enlarged cross section in Fig. S) where A a Section on line A-A ot' Fig. i3 and l on line l5-l3 of Fig. la. Then the chains leave the sprocket wheel they enter the recesses /1/ 'torined between the trough shaped base plate L and the angle iron guide checks it, The plates g arc o'll width comparable with the distance between the cheeks /e (as shown in Fig'. 7) and the chaniher termed between two adjacent plates f/ and the cheeks /i constitutes the box into which the splints are ted troni tray (l as the boxes pass this tray, in the manner already described.

The section is through part ot the `guide where there is a jap in the base plate bridged by two bars /i/l tor supporting the plates 57. The purpose or" this is to perinit to drop away dust and fragments which are contained in the hoses charged with splints and can escape through the spaces between the plates g and between the latter and the cheeks 72T.

This escape and also the iinal straightenin ot the splints in the boxes is aided by via .tingiv the conveyor both vertically and horizontally. ln the present instance these .movements are both derived :troni the saine eccentric shait i. shown in Figs. 7 and S (but not to the saine scale). rl`he sha'lit Z: (Fig. i) driven through belt 7./ troni a driving' sha'tt (not shown), drives the drum Ot sprocket wheel throafg'h worin ge: r 7a2 and alsov` through gear fir. the crank shaft 7/2 alre: i reterred to, at the lett hand end ot itt the right handv end, the shaft 7.1 drives through reduction gear 7.1* the eccentric shatt 2'..

Re'tcrringr to Fig'. at a suitable place on ti. shalt-fi an eccentric portion i revolves in a bush 'i2 carried by a lever v/u which is pivoted at one end to an oscillating` link 27, mounted on the Ytraine ot t-he machine, and

engages at the other end beneath the base plate If; lnthis manner the guide-way re`- ccives a constant vertical vibration of short amplitude. I

Referring to'Fig. 7 the mechanism which produces the horizontal vibration of the conveyor serves also. to vibrate the magazines m (Figs. l and 7)'. A second eccentric por'- tion 'i5 of shaft z revolves in a bush n carried by rod's n whichV connect it with a second bush a2 adapted to turn on a short shaft as carried in brackets n* (Figz 7) which spring from the casting y. This casting slides on the plate ce and constitutes the mouth ot the magazine. The upper part of this casting is in the same planey aspthe plate h2' and iills` a gap in that plate. The sides m3 of the magazine are suspended on bolts m4' carried by casting y. Thus the vi"- bration of the shaft a3 is communicatedY to both the conveyor and the magazine.

The-vibration of the sides ma of themafgazine which allows the elimination of the weight on the splints as hereinbefore stated, is due to their engagement with the known vibrating frame n which is a partA of the usual match making machine.

From the foregoing it will be understood that the conveyor boxes are successively filled with more or less straightened splints as they pass the inclined plate CZ and are further straightened in the boxes by the consta-nt vibration of the guide-way and therefore of the conveyor chain. Since the boxes are liable to be fuller than is desirable there is providedA a revolving brush 0 (Fig. l) drivenV from shaft 7c by belt 0 which brushes the excess' splints from each box into a chute (not shown) whence they are collected by a conveyor and returned to hopper a.

Having passed the brush the boxes are ready to be discharged into the magazines m oi"` whiclrtwo are shown in this example. The important point about this discharge is that the straightened splints should fall through adistance not appreciably exceeding the length of a splint before they come to rest in the magazine and to achieve this end the rate at which the boxes are discharged is adjusted in comparison with the rate of withdrawal oi the splints from the magazine so that either the level of the splints remains substantially constant at the desired distance ontliere is a constant overe flow of splints from the magazine the mouth tobe discharged into the first magazinepthe remainder being retained ufll for discharge into'. the second' magazine;

1n the case shown (Fig. 3:) this device consists in a suitably guided endless chain p Jfree to travel over pulleys g QV mounted on brackets carried by a bar r. Certain pai-rs of adjacentlinks o the chain are shaped to form lingers p, p2, havin-g a grippingV opening' p3' between them; the dista-'nce between these pairs is identica-l with the distance between alternate plates g. Since there is always a number of the plates g engaged with a number of these openings p3' (as shown in Fig. 3) the chain p travels at theV same vratev as they conveyor. Then a pair of lingers travels over the pulley g the fingers move apart Vsome-what and come together again at the moment when` plate g arrives beneath the axis of the pulley; thus the plate g: engages' in the opening p3 and is thereby prevented from tipping when it arrives at the gapV in the base platev h2, but is carried forward to be tipped when it arrives at the second magazine; The alternate plates g do not become engaged with the chain but each is tripped by a light spring p4 so that it falls' against the linger p2 belonging' to the pair that engages the next following plate g. The splints are thus discharged and the plate g' carried past the spring Q94 by the linger p2 until it is again righted by the base plate k2 ofthe guideway.

The forward edge of the mouth of the magazine lm is rounded asA at m (Fig. 3) to facilitate overflow of splints into a chute (not shown)` for conveyance back to hopper a. The mid-feather m2 in the mouth of' the magazine ensures betterV packing'A by` preventing accumulation or" discharged splints at one side of the magazine. Y

'Having thus described the nature oi the said invention and the best means we know of carrying the same into practical effect, we claim 1 l. The combination with a .splint supply hopper, oi spl-int straightening means into which splints are delivered by the hopper, said means comprising a chute having partitioning members therein aiiording'vertical cells, each of which in cross-section is of less length and of less width than the length oi a splint, the alternate members being vertically reciprocative to e'iifect the rai i splints in the hopper, and means for activ ating said reciprocative member.

2. The combination with a splint supply hopper, oi splint straightening 4means into which splints are delivered by the hopper,- said means comprisimg` a chute` vertical partitions therein having trough-like members subdivid'ing the interior of the chute in cells, each ofi which in cross-section is oit less length and o1c less width than thc length of ot the l a splint, and means for vertically reciprocating alternate partitions.

3. The combination vvith a splint supply hopper, of splint straightening means into which splints are delivered by the hopper, said means comprising a chute, vertical partitions therein, trough-like members fast on adjacent partitions and relatively arranged one Within the other to provide rectangular cells, each ot which in cross-section is ot less length and of less width than the length of a splint, and means for vertically reciprocating alternate partitions and their trough-like members.

l. The combination with a splint supply hopper, of splint straightening means into Which splints are delivered by the hopper, said means comprising a chute, vertical partitions therein having trough-like members subdividing the interior or' the chute in cells, each ot which in cross-section is ot less length and of less width than the length oit a splint, the upper ends oit the said members ot' alternate partitions being ot lli-form, and means for vertically reciprocating the said alternate partitions and their trough-like members.

5. rlhe combination vrith a splint supply hopper, of splint straightening means into which splints are delivered by the hopper, said means comprising a chute, vertical partitions therein, trough-like members .tast on adjacent partitions and relatively arranged one Within the other to provide rectangular cells, each ot which in cross-section is ot' less length and ot less width than the length o'i a splint, the upper ends ot the said members of alternate partitions being of interni, and means tor vertically reciprocating the said alternate partitions and their trough-like members.

G. The combination with means for Vsupplying splints, of a conveyer comprising a chain of pivotally mounted supporting inembers, means tor maintaining said members normally positioned to provide a vsuccession of receptacles into which the splints are progressivcly delivered by the splint supply means, a conveyer guide having spaced-apart discharge openings over which the said members progress, and means to prevent the tilting ot each alternate element as it passes over the lirst opening and progresses toivard the second opening.

7. The combination with means ior rsupplying splints, oli' a conveyer comp. sing a chain of pivotally mounted supporting members, means for maintaining` said members normally positioned to provide a succession oi' receptacles into which the splints are progressively delivered by the splint supply means, a magazine beloiv the path of the said receptacles after they leave the supply means, and an endless chain of spaced-apart grippers overlying the path of tra-vel of the conveyer and ,adapted to engage the alternate members of thc conveyor and prevent their tilting as they approach and pass over the magazine.

S. The combination with means for supplying splints, ot a conveyer comprising a chain ol pivotally mounted angular members, a guide-way upon which the upper run ot the conveyer is supported so as to maintain said members positioned to provide a succession ot receptacles into which the splints are progressively delivered by the splint supply means, said guideivay having an opening therein beyond the supply means, a magazine located beneath said opening, means tor tilting the alternate angular members as they approach and pass over the opening into the guide-\vay, and means to prevent the tilting of the remaining members during such passage.

S). rl`he combination with a source ot splint supply, ot' a conveyer comprising a succession ot box-like members into which the splints are progressively delivered in parallelism l'rom the source ot' supply, each of said members being operable to release it,l contents at a location beyond the source or supply, means :tor impelling the conveyer, a magazine located beneath the path of the conveyor, means for actuating the alternate members to discharge their contents into the underlying magazine, means to maintain the rei aining members in closed position during their progress over the magazine and mechanism for simultaneously vibrating the travelling convcyer and the magazine.

l0. 'lhc combination with means for supplying splints, ot an elongated guide trough having abottom opening 4spaced from the source ot supply, an endless conveycr mounted to travel along said trough `and comprising a chain ot pivotally-mounted angular members normally positioned adjacent each other to provide a succession of receptacles into which the splints are delivered so as to lie transversely of the trough, said members being tiltable over the opening of the guide trough to permit the discharge of splints l'rom the receptacles.

ll. rlhe combination with means for supplying splints, of an elongated guide trough luiving two bottom openings therein spaced lrom the source ot supply and from each other, an endless conveyer mounted to travel along said trough and comprising a chain of pivotally-mounted angular members normally positioned adjacent each other to provide a succession ot receptacles into which the splints are delivered so as to lie-transversely ot' the trough, and means to prevent the tilting ot each alternate member as it passes over the iirst opening and progresses toivard the second opening ot the trough.

1Q. The combination With means for supplying splints, of an elongated guide trough having two bottom openings therein spaced from the source of supply and Jfrom each other, an endless conveyer mounted to travel along said trough and comprising a chain of pivotally-Inounted angular members normally positioned adjacent each other to provide a succession of receptacles into Which the splints are delivered so as to lie transversely of the trough, an endless chain of spaced-apart grippers overlying the path of travel of the conveyer and adapted to engage the alternate members of the conveyer and prevent their tilting as they approach and pass over the )first opening of the trough and to release said alternate members bel5 CHARLES OGILVY RENNIE. ARTHUR VENNELL COSTER. 

